1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front structure for motor vehicles, and especially to a front structure for a steering gearbox, harness and a plurality of pipes not to be subjected to direct heat from an engine and exhaust pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
A front-engine rear-wheel drive (FR) vehicle with an engine mounted on a front part of the vehicle, which engine drives rear wheels, is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 3,028,257.
Such a vehicle is partitioned at its body front part into an engine compartment and a passenger compartment with a dashboard. To the rear of the engine are connected a transmission, propeller shaft and differential gear, to drive the rear wheels. Exhaust gas or emission produced by driving the engine is discharged to the rear of the vehicle through an exhaust pipe extending from a rear part of the engine to the rear of the vehicle.
In the engine compartment, a steering gearbox, harness and pipes (e.g. brake hoses) extending transversely to the vehicle are usually arranged between the dashboard and the engine. The steering gearbox, harness and pipes are disposed close to the exhaust pipe extending from the rear part of the engine. This requires consideration to preventing, to a maximum extent, the steering gearbox, harness and pipes from being thermally affected by the exhaust pipe in the small engine compartment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a front structure for vehicles that allows a steering gearbox, harness and pipes extending transversely to the vehicle in an engine compartment to be given a minimum effect of heat produced by an exhaust pipe of an engine.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle front structure comprising: a dashboard for partitioning a front part of a body of the vehicle into an engine compartment for accommodating an engine and a passenger compartment; an exhaust pipe extending from a rear part of the engine, beneath the passenger compartment, toward a rear part of the vehicle; a body reinforcing bar extending between the dashboard and the exhaust pipe transversely of the vehicle and detachably mounted at both ends thereof to right and left front side frames in the body front part; and a heat shielding plate interposed between the dashboard and the exhaust pipe, and having a rear end mounted to a lower part of the dashboard and a front end mounted to the body reinforcing bar.
The body reinforcing bar is interposed between the engine and the dashboard, to extend the body reinforcing bar between the right and left front side frames, thereby to reinforce the body front part. The heat shielding plate mounted by the use of the dashboard and the body reinforcing bar is interposed between the exhaust pipe extending from the rear part of the engine and the dashboard, thereby to limit thermal effect from the exhaust pipe to the passenger compartment. In particular, when the steering gearbox, harness and pipes are interposed between the dashboard and the exhaust pipe, the heat shielding plate provided between the steering gearbox, harness and pipes, and the exhaust pipe prevents the steering gearbox, harness and pipes from being directly affected by heat from the exhaust pipe.
If the engine is set back upon a collision of the vehicle, the body reinforcing bar and the heat shielding plate prevent the high-heated engine and the exhaust pipe from directly hitting against the steering gearbox, harness and pipes.
The heat shielding plate having a heat insulating material on at least either upper or lower surface thereof can positively block thermal effect from the engine and the exhaust pipe to the steering gearbox and the other components. In particular, it is preferred to provide the heat insulating material on the upper surface at the side of which the steering gearbox and the other components are arranged because the heat insulating material serves as a cushion at a time of collision of the vehicle to alleviate impact to the steering gearbox and the other components. The heat insulating material is preferably positioned above the exhaust pipe to directly block heat emitted from the exhaust pipe.
Further, it is preferred to arrange the steering gearbox in a higher position than the transmission protruded rearwardly of the engine in order for the transmission not to interfere with the steering gearbox when the transmission is set back upon a collision of the vehicle.